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Evolution. Every artist MUST grow. Really, everyone must change, but we concern ourselves primarily with artists. Perfect a technique or come as close as possible and move on. Take it out only when it’s appropriate, otherwise EVOLVE. Life is a constantly shifting shore.

This work, like the most recent and like the next will be, is an evolution of three techniques. Setting the work in well defined sections is one of my earliest techniques. In the past I’ve referred to it as ‘sharp edges’, but it really should be labeled ‘sharp sections’. The extent to which those sections are definable varies with texturing and other filtering, and it's one that has become less definable over the years as I use more of just those things. My work ‘Futility’ from May 21 illustrates the technique.

Second technique is strong edging, which can take many forms. Like ‘sharp sections’, it often comes as a base layer that sets up additional work in lighting and texture. My work ‘Garden’s Edge’ from July 15 illustrates the technique.

I’ve learned over time to combine the two as a defined technique in themselves, illustrated by ‘Port In A Storm’ from April 19 and ‘Hill Street’ from August 23. The combination of the two pushes further into the abstract.

Lastly, the extrude technique, which I’ve been using more and more and which I describe in greater detail on my post from February 22, and more recently the work 'Debra Untethered' from July 12.

These new works are an evolutionary jump combining all three. It uses extrude as background texturing rather than as a primary element. It identifies clear foreground elements created by edging and sectioning and pulls them out of the work where they are filtered and saturated separately, then folded back on top of the full work which has itself been textured. The opacity and blending of each layer vary as appropriate.

There are dozens of points within this procedure in which just the slightest adjustment completely changes the nature of the work. And I will likely, over time, be compulsively exploring each and every one of them.